Topic: Western Developers That Should Develope Future Metroid Titles

[Kairon]

We're assuming that these studios would be doing their own takes on Metroid right? Not continuing in the Metroid Prime mold?

[Luigi Dude]

Just once I would like to see a Metroid topic not descend into a Sakamoto bash-fest...

But some of the copies of Other M allowed Sakamoto to crawl out of people's TV screens and rape them so clearly all the hate is justified since the man is a sexual predator.  I mean, what else could compel people to mention every single week how much they hate Sakamoto unless they were physically abused by the man?

[Ian Sane]

Other M is the most recently released Metroid game.  Any Metroid discussion is going to naturally involved the newest game in the series.  And in this case there is also uncertainty of where the franchise is going to go in the future and that all ties into Other M.  The whole reason we're talking about some other developer taking it on is because of Other M.  No one brought up such an idea after Metroid Prime.

We don't want Sakamoto to be involved in the next Metroid.  That is why this very topic about another dev taking on the series even exists.  Otherwise we would just assume Sakamoto and Team Ninja would continue to make Metroid games and we would have no issue with it.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, I think when there's a topic about who should make the next Metroid game it's not really fair to complain about people criticizing the most recent game in the series. Sakamoto hate is uncalled for a lot of the times it shows up, but I think it's clearly relevant here.

To be fair, though, Other M is an extension of what Sakamoto did in Metroid Fusion, and Sakamoto turned around after that one and made Zero Mission, which could be argued to be the best game in the series, so Sakamoto staying involved isn't necessarily bad.

[Chozo Ghost]

Sakamoto leading a future Metroid game might not be a bad thing as long as he has adult supervision. He had that when Gunpei Yokoi was alive. That's why there is no controversy about the first Metroid games, but from Gunpei Yokoi's death onwards there was no one around to thump Sakamoto on the head with a rolled up newspaper whenever he came up with a stupid idea, so the stupid ideas ended up making it into the final product much to the chagrin of gamers. There needs to be someone supervising him to filter the good ideas from the bad.

[NWR_insanolord]

So how do you explain the aforementioned Zero Mission? No Gunpei Yokoi around for that one, and it's the best 2D game in the series.

[Luigi Dude]

Yeah, I think when there's a topic about who should make the next Metroid game it's not really fair to complain about people criticizing the most recent game in the series. Sakamoto hate is uncalled for a lot of the times it shows up, but I think it's clearly relevant here.

While it does have more relevance here then most other thread, after the first few post most of the thread has turned into another Sakamoto hate fest.  In a topic about who people want to make the next Metroid, more post are about how much they hate Other M again, instead of actually talking about the studio's they want to make the next Metroid and the kind of things they think the studio could do with the series.  It's one thing for people to talk about what they didn't like about Other M and how they think a Western studio could make a better game, but when most post are entirely about their hate for the game and director, the thread might as well be renamed "Tell Us How Much You Hate Sakamoto Again" and it'd look about 75% the same.

Plus like you said, after Fusion Sakamoto went and made Zero Mission which is universally praised by nearly every Metroid fan.  This makes all the extreme hatred people still have toward Sakamoto just ridicules since there's no indication by Sakamoto's history that he'd make another Metroid just like Other M since Zero Mission wasn't just like Fusion.  Saying Sakamoto shouldn't make another Metroid because of Other M is like saying Koizumi shouldn't have been allowed to make another Mario after Sunshine since Koizumi was the director of Mario Sunshine which people complained about because of questionable decisions like Other M.  And yet Koizumi would go on to direct Mario Galaxy several years later which ended up being one of the highest rated and praised games of all time.

Plus everyone seems to forget that Other M was Sakamoto's first 3D game which is one of the reason for some of the weird decisions since the man had no previous experience in 3D game design.  Is it really that hard to believe that since he has actual experience with 3D gaming now that a sequel would be much better since he knows what works and what doesn't now?

[NWR_insanolord]

That would ease concerns about gameplay mechanics, but not so much for his story choices. If he could either realize himself or have it forced upon him by someone higher up that he's not a good storyteller and should let someone else handle that I think a lot of people would be much more receptive to another game from him.

[MagicCow64]

Is there that much animus against Fusion, though, compared to Other M? I thought Fusion had some really strong points, even if it did veer too much toward missile heavy Contra-esque boss fights and under-utilize the titular Fusion. I recall it having some split opinions about the direction it took the series in, but nothing like the Other M backlash.

The more I think about it, the more I think Rocksteady would be the best fantasy draft choice from a Western developer. They managed to finally make an awesome Batman game in the third person that felt like it was an extension of the ethos of the franchise. And it combines fast-paced combat, boss-fights, vertical exploration, gadget upgrades, and environmental puzzles into a pretty seamless package. If they had Nintendo supervising the art direction, I'd be optimistic about the prospects. I can't think of another western studio off the top of my head making third person games that doesn't fall into a cover-shooter, beat-em-up (ala Lords of Shadows), or GTA and/or Prince of Persia-derivative sandbox category, none of which would be 'troid appropriate.

[TJ Spyke]

95% of Zero Mission was just a graphical remake of the first Metroid, Sakamoto added very little to it. With Other M, he was also given much more freedom from Iwata.

Let's use an analogy that wrestling fans might get. Sakamoto is like Vince Russo. Russo was good when he had Vince McMahon to filter ideas through and prevent crap from getting through. When Russo went to WCW, he had complete freedom and gave us crap like "Pinata on a Pole" matches between Mexican wrestlers and having Steve Williams make fun of Jim Ross' Bells Palsy condition.

[NWR_insanolord]

There are two lessons we have to hope Nintendo learned from Other M:

1. Sakamoto is not a good storyteller.
2. No matter what you do, Metroid is never going to sell big in Japan.

Giving the series to a Western developer makes sense given that it's a series that mainly appeals to Western gamers. It worked marvelously last time they tried it, and giving it to a completely unproven Retro was a much bigger risk than any of the developers listed here. I hope Nintendo understands that with the right mindset this series can be very successful in the West, and don't just give up on it like I'm afraid they might.

[Luigi Dude]

There are two lessons we have to hope Nintendo learned from Other M:

1. Sakamoto is not a good storyteller.
2. No matter what you do, Metroid is never going to sell big in Japan.

Giving the series to a Western developer makes sense given that it's a series that mainly appeals to Western gamers. It worked marvelously last time they tried it, and giving it to a completely unproven Retro was a much bigger risk than any of the developers listed here. I hope Nintendo understands that with the right mindset this series can be very successful in the West, and don't just give up on it like I'm afraid they might.

Metroid Prime 3 sold over 1 million copies and even Other M sold better then Zero Mission which was Sakamoto's last Metroid before it.  Metroid might now put up Mario and Pokemon numbers but it still gets the job done.  This isn't F-Zero where the last 3 games bombed or Star Fox which had a huge drop between Adventure, Assault and Command.  The Metroid series still puts up steady numbers for the type of series it is and hasn't had a huge drop between installments.

This is why Metroid fans need to stop acting paranoid since the series is still a successful one for Nintendo.  The only thing Other M not meeting expectations will do is make them cut the budgets which will result in less story cutscenes and production values which is something everyone b!tching should be happy about.  It could also result in more 2D Metroid's since they're cheaper to make which more people should be happy about as well.

[Kairon]

I'm still dreaming of a New Super Metroid...

[Chozo Ghost]

I'm still dreaming of a New Super Metroid...

New Super Metroid Bros. U

[Adrock]

Yeah, I think when there's a topic about who should make the next Metroid game it's not really fair to complain about people criticizing the most recent game in the series. Sakamoto hate is uncalled for a lot of the times it shows up, but I think it's clearly relevant here.

Perhaps it's more relevant in this topic than others, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. Case in point, I previously responded to this topic without mentioning Other M once. It is, in fact, possible to have a discussion about Metroid without acting like Sakamoto is worst than Hitler. Negativity claims so many topics on NWR. This is why we can't have nice things.

Anyway, I think Metroid will be just fine (yes, even if Sakamoto had another crack at it). The more I think about it, if I could pick a team to work on the series, it would Ubisoft Montpellier. Sakamoto teamed up with Team Ninja due to his inexperience with 3D games. I think Michel Ancel's team within the Montpellier division could tackle either 2D or 3D Metroid. **** it. Let them do both. I especially like Ancel's philosophy of giving players freedom within his games. Isn't that non-linearity what people want from a Metroid game? Instead of being told where to go, the player has to find the way. It's like he understands Metroid without having ever touched the series. Considering how m-f-ing gorgeous Rayman Origins and Legends are, they'd make a fantastic looking 2D Metroid, probably better than WayForward Technologies. No disrespect to them as their one of my favorite devs, but Legends is on a whole other level. They have some of the best art guys in the industry. Going from Retro Studios to Ubisoft Montpellier in terms of art direction is as close to a lateral move as I can think of. I think Ancel and his team are working on Beyond Good and Evil 2 so this isn't going to happen, but that's not what this topic is asking. If I could pick any studio to handle Metroid that isn't Retro Studios, I'd pick Michel Ancel's team at Ubisoft Montpellier.

[Sarail]

I'm still dreaming of a New Super Metroid...

New Super Metroid Bros. U

New Super Metroid Bros. 2 - gold plasma beams, golden Varia suit, gold coins for health pickups, gold speed booster pads, golden missiles, gold EVERYTHING.

Instant classic.

[Tamazoid]

I think Sakamoto should make another 2D Metroid. Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission are great games.. Other M is probably the biggest game he has ever directed plus being the first 3Dish game he has taken a considerable part in (His role in the Prime series was probably minor). Sakamoto shouldn't be ridden off and dumped in the EAD basement making downloadable games like Igarashi and Suzuki for the rest of his career.


I think Sakamoto has atleast one great Metroid game left in him. Just don't expect him to make a 3D masterpiece.

[shingi_70]

I thought 343i was working onxmetroid prime 4.

[ThePerm]

I agree with the idea of Gearbox made Metroid. They worked on a number of games that I have liked, and thier latest game in in the Alien series, which if you put Samas and jelly fish in  then it would be the Metroid series. Its a perfect game to practice making Metroid with.